More than 270,000 people in Scotland missed a council tax payment last year, according to a charity.
Analysis of polling that Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) commissioned from YouGov suggests that 276,186 people missed a payment at least once in 2023.
The charity estimates that figure is equivalent to 31 people missing a payment every hour from December 2022.
CAS is currently running a Stressed about Debt campaign, encouraging those who are worried about money and debt to seek advice from its network.
It believes council tax should be considered as a “priority debt” – a debt people ought to deal with first or risk enforcement that is quicker and harsher than enforcement for commercial debt.
Previous research from CAS found people are not aware of the harsher consequences of being in council tax arrears compared with other types of debt such as loans or credit cards.
Councils can subject those in arrears of just one month to a speedy debt enforcement through a bank arrestment – which can include benefits – as a means of recovering payment.
On average around one in three of the charity’s clients presenting debt issues at bureaux have council tax debt.
CAS financial health spokesperson Myles Fitt said: “The sheer scale of people who have missed a council tax payment last year is alarming.
“That’s 270,000 people receiving a bill for payment of the full year of council tax because of that missed payment. That’s 270,000 potentially facing a bank arrestment if payment can’t be made, 270,000 people potentially in need of advice as council tax debt is nearly always connected to other debts.
“The cost-of-living crisis is undoubtedly a key factor in this.
“People are prioritising essential costs like heating, food and shelter and in some cases that means skipping or not being able to pay their monthly council tax bill. People don’t see immediate tangible consequences of not paying their council tax – the bins still get emptied and street lights stay on – in the way that they do if food cannot be bought or energy bills are left unpaid.
“But council tax should be regarded as a priority bill simply because the debt collection process is quicker and harsher than commercial debt like credit cards, such as arresting bank accounts which can include benefit payments.
“As council tax bills land on doorsteps in the coming weeks for the next financial year, we urge people to factor in the consequences of not paying council tax as they determine their spending priorities.
“Anyone who has missed a council tax payment or is struggling with paying bills or falling into debt should seek advice from the Citizens Advice network. You can go to www.cas.org.uk/stressed and choose a route to advice that works for you. Our advice is free, impartial and confidential and we don’t judge, we just help.”